British Prime Minister Andy Burnham (L) walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) at a naval base in Portsmouth, England, on July 27, 2026. Aaron Chown/POOL/AFP/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a strong show of support from British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, when he arrived for meetings with the head of government and King Charles III.
Burnham told Zelenskyy during a press conference in Downing Street that the UK supports Ukraine, “and that will not change,” confirming that London would redouble efforts to assist Kyiv.
Acknowledging the overnight drone and missile attacks, Burnham extended his sympathies and condolences to all those affected.
“We are accelerating the delivery of British-made air defenses for you, and we will make sure that they are in place as soon as possible,” Burnham told Zelenskyy. “We will, forever, stand by you through this difficult time.”
Zelenskyy later shared a photo of himself shaking hands with King Charles, saying in the X post that it was important to him to have the opportunity to thank him for his support for Ukraine.
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“We appreciate all the assistance provided by the United Kingdom,” he said.
British Lightweight Multirole Missiles
According to the statement, the jet-powered drones are faster and can fly far higher than propeller-driven Shaheds, which makes them harder to detect and destroy before they hit targets.
It added that London has already pledged 1.6 billion pounds ($2.11 billion) to deliver more than 5,000 LMMs to Kyiv over the next four years. Downing Street also said it will accelerate 10 million pounds ($13.18 million) of the 45 million pound ($59.31 million) package of missiles “to meet Ukraine’s most urgent winter requirements.”
Burnham has also asked ministers to draw up further sanctions against Russia.
“My message to the Ukrainian people could not be clearer, we are with you for as long as it takes,” he said, according to the statement. “Russia’s aggression cannot be allowed to succeed on our continent.”
Overnight aerial attacks by Russia on Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and Kharkiv left 600,000 in Ukraine without power, Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.
He said Russian forces fired 39 ballistic missiles and 120 attack drones, resulting in “significant damage” to energy and critical infrastructure, including 26 power facilities and four in the oil and gas sector.
There have been fatalities and injuries, Zelenskyy said on X, and asked international allies to “respond forcefully,” including with strong sanctions on Russia.
